Monkey has been BLW from 6 months, he's now 15 months and has steadily developed an aversion to vegetables over the past two to three months. Previously he would eat pretty much anything.

I've taken to vegetable subterfuge....think blended veg soup, mashed sweet potato as a spread on pizza before loading with cheese and generally trying to cut veg so small he won't detect it in his sauce or cous cous. It's hugely annoying as we always eat together as a family and its gone from being so easy to plan meals to having to alter pretty much everything in a bid hide veg along the way.

He screws his face up in disgust if he unwittingly puts some veg in his mouth!

Thankfully he's still eating fruit and everything else he eats is healthy but I can see I could easily become obsessed in my quest to just get some bloody veg in him.

keep offering what you have, try not to hide it. I tell LO that of he doesn't want to eat it leave it on his plate, sometime he has some sometime he doesn't. Try not to stress. I have found anything tastes good if dipped in Tomato Sauce lol, he has it with everything even Pasta with Tomato Sauce, go figure. If you hide it he won't know what it looks like in its natural form so it could be more difficult to introduce it later.

Oooh, and I've also noticed that L likes eating things in a certain order now. Sometimes he'll pick out all of the carrots and I'll think 'oh no!' but all that happens is that he goes back to them when he's run out of stuff he likes best. It does make mealtimes very long though as I need to give him time to come back to those bits.

Thanks ladies. I am still offering him veg as veg, or as it comes in sauces etc just trying to get some in to him by sneaking some too. Guess I just have to be patient and hope it doesn't last forever!

Hi Sorry am a newbie and jumping in here... my 16 mo doing exactly the same suddenly refusing veg. So do people think he'll gradually just come back to it if I don't force the issue? And what about making sure he's got enough vits and minerals? He's still eating fruit so fibre not a problem. thanks!

peanut's parent wrote:Hi Sorry am a newbie and jumping in here... my 16 mo doing exactly the same suddenly refusing veg. So do people think he'll gradually just come back to it if I don't force the issue? And what about making sure he's got enough vits and minerals? He's still eating fruit so fibre not a problem. thanks!

The short answer is yes, but no one can predict when. Is he still drinking BM/formula? If so, vitamins/minerals aren't a huge concern. If not, keep offering lots of variety/preparation styles (some veg my 17mo will eat only cooked/in a casserole/in a sandwich, etc) and praising him for exploring vegetable tastes. Vegetables will come back on the menu when he's ready and needs them.

Mama to two boys, the Scout Kid P, 02/26/12 and the Feral Kid R 12/15/13, and one little Tumbleweed girl, 05/27/16.

LOs don't need as much fruit and veg as adults so don't worry too much on that account. Keep offering and they will get through it, I found vegetables (and then fruit when DD1 went through a stage of not eating fruit around 18 months) became more attractive when served with fat so drowned in cheese or butter or cream or yoghurt or coconut milk or peanut butter etc etc.

You can't force it at this stage,and have to keep it light to avoid turning it into a battle. As they get older I insist they try things if they want seconds of something else on the plate, it's surprising how often the thing they were refusing to eat is suddenly OK once they actually taste it. We now talk about how as you get older you start liking things you didn't like before and so you should always taste things to see if you now like them. I'm lucky, DD1 in particular is very good at trying things but I know adults that have been fussy as children, the ones that were exposed to good habits from their parents always eventually come round.

Thanks so much - that's put my mind at rest. Yes he's still having plenty of BM and some cow as well. I'll just keep offering lovely veggies then and let him come to them in his own time. I did read the book and it all made so much sense, but that was quite a while ago and I think i just need reminding to trust my child's appetite. Thanks again!